Shower tile calculator

Shower wall tile = (back wall + both side walls) × the tiled height, and the floor is counted apart: a 5 × 3 ft shower tiled 8 ft high takes 10 boxes of wall tile and 2 of floor tile.

Your measurements

Example

Use the unit shown for each box, or type another one: 12 ft 6 in, 150 in, 3.8 m and 600 mm all work, as do the marks on a tape measure.

Extra wall surface 1

Surface name For example: curb face, niche return or fourth wall. Length (ft) Width (ft)

Shower length (ft) Shower width (ft) Tiled wall height (ft)

Details Package sizes, prices and materials

Extra for cuts (%) Untiled wall openings (sq ft) Wall-tile box coverage (sq ft) Floor-tile box coverage (sq ft) Wall tile length Wall tile width Floor tile length Shower floors are often small tiles or mosaics, so they follow the slope to the drain. Floor tile width Grout joint Wall tile thickness Floor tile thickness Thinset trowel Matched: a 1/4 × 1/4 in notch for tiles under 8 in, 1/4 × 3/8 in up to 15 in, a large-tile U-notch above that. In a shower the back of each tile should be at least 95% covered. Your grout’s coverage per package (sq ft) Leave blank to use CUSTOM Polyblend Plus sanded grout in 25 lb bags, worked out for each tile, joint and depth. Your thinset’s coverage per bag (sq ft) Leave blank to use CUSTOM VersaBond in 50 lb bags, at the low end of its range for the trowel.

Example: replace these measurements

Your material list

10 wall-tile boxes+ 4 more items on the list

103 sq ft measured

Your measured layout

Open-front shower: back wall, two side walls and floor. Add curb and niche surfaces separately. Schematic, not a waterproofing detail.

Your shopping list

10 wall-tile boxes
2 floor-tile boxes
3 bags of 50 lb thinset mortar (VersaBond-LFT)
1 bag of 50 lb thinset mortar (VersaBond)
1 bag of 25 lb sanded grout (Polyblend Plus)

At posted store prices

$90.78 3 × $30.26 a bag, CUSTOM VersaBond-LFT large-format tile mortar, Gray, 50 lb at Mill Supply Co. in Baltimore, MD on Oct 12, 2026
$16.99 1 × $16.99 a bag, CUSTOM VersaBond professional thin-set mortar, White, 50 lb at Shell Lumber and Hardware in Miami, FL on Oct 12, 2026
$25.26 1 × $25.26 a bag, CUSTOM Polyblend Plus sanded grout, Delorean Gray, 25 lb at Shell Lumber and Hardware in Miami, FL on Oct 26, 2026

$133.03 for these 3 items, before tax and delivery.

Not priced here: wall-tile boxes, floor-tile boxes. Each price is one store’s posted price on the day shown, for the product named. Prices vary between stores: check yours.

Quantities and package details

Floor-tile boxes: 2
Tiled walls, including extras: 88 sq ft
Floor: 15 sq ft
Curb face: 0 sq ft
Thinset mortar: 3 bags of 50 lb (VersaBond-LFT)
Thinset mortar: 1 bag of 50 lb (VersaBond)
Sanded grout: 1 bag of 25 lb (Polyblend Plus)
Edges and corners left for sealant: 27 ft

Large tiles often need thinset on their backs as well (back-troweling); add to the thinset for that.

The calculation

(5 + 2 × 3) × 8 + 0 − 0 = 88 sq ft of walls
15 sq ft of floor; round wall and floor boxes separately after 10% extra.
Thinset, walls: 88 sq ft ÷ 42 sq ft a 50 lb bag (CUSTOM VersaBond-LFT with a 3/4 × 9/16 in U-notch at 30° trowel; its chart gives 42 to 47) = 2.1 bags
Thinset, floor: 15 sq ft ÷ 85 sq ft a 50 lb bag (CUSTOM VersaBond with a 1/4 × 1/4 in square notch trowel; its chart gives 85 to 95) = 0.18 bags
Thinset bags, each mortar rounded up: 3 VersaBond-LFT, 1 VersaBond
Grout, walls: 24 in × 12 in tile, 3/8 in deep, 1/8 in joints: about 461 sq ft a 25 lb bag (CUSTOM’s Polyblend Plus chart, worked for this size); 88 ÷ 461 = 0.19 bags
Grout, floor: 2 in × 2 in tile, 1/4 in deep, 1/8 in joints: about 94 sq ft a 25 lb bag (CUSTOM’s Polyblend Plus chart, worked for this size); 15 ÷ 94 = 0.16 bags
Grout bags, all surfaces, rounded up = 1

See the tiles on your walls

The three walls of the shower above, unfolded side by side. Wrapping keeps the joints in one line around the corners, with a tile centered on the back wall; centering gives each wall its own matching cuts at both ends. Cut tiles are shaded.

Left wall: 4 columns, 4 rows, 16 tiles; end cuts 11 3/8 in and 1/4 in.
Back wall: 5 columns, 4 rows, 20 tiles; end cuts 11 3/4 in and 11 3/4 in.
Right wall: 4 columns, 4 rows, 16 tiles; end cuts 1/4 in and 11 3/8 in.

52 tile positions on the three walls, before your extra. Narrowest cut 1/4 in.

Common questions

How do I measure a shower for tile?

Measure the back wall and both side walls to the tiled height, and the floor. Add curbs, niche returns and any fourth wall as extra surfaces. Wall and floor tile are rounded to boxes separately because they are often different tiles.

Should I subtract the valve and shower head openings?

No. Small cutouts do not save whole tiles. Subtract only areas that stay untiled, such as a window.

Does this include waterproofing?

No. Tile and grout do not waterproof a shower. The membrane, drain and corner details come from the waterproofing system you choose, and its installation handbook.

How to plan the quantity

The main shape is an open-front shower: a back wall, two side walls and a floor. Add the curb faces, niche returns and any fourth-wall surfaces as separate rectangles.

Subtract the face of an untiled opening from wall area, then add the tiled returns inside it. Wall and floor boxes round separately because they often use different tile.

Tile and grout are not the waterproofing assembly. Keep the membrane, drain, corners, curb and penetration details together in the quote.

Thinset and grout are counted for the walls and the floor separately, because their tiles usually differ. The two inside corners and the joint where the walls meet the floor take a flexible sealant, not grout; the list gives that length.

Before you order

This is an area-based purchase list. Mosaics, edge pieces and pattern cuts need the product layout.
Shower slope, drain connection and waterproofing design are outside this area calculation.

Have prices moved?

Ceramic floor and wall tile cost 0.8% more in September 2026 than a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics producer price index, preliminary).

Every building material we track, month by month, with the change in a year.

Before ordering, read the guide: How much tile do I need? Layout, cuts and boxes. Or choose another calculator.